Cell end connector for use in a building and air distributing structure



Dec. 8, 1959 B. E. CURRAN 2,915,955

CELL END CONNECTOR FCR USE 1N A BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE Filed May 17, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l ,4 X Y ff( T T Z) 'i 7%7 /Z A/ f7-y 25 23 `223 FIG` l INVENTOR. Bergara E. Curran ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1959 B. E. CURRAN 2,915,955

CELL END CONNECTOR FCR USE IN A BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTTNC STRUCTURE Filed May l?, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. 5er/vara' f. Curran MMLTM Dec. 8, 1959 CELL END CONNEC' Filedfmay 17. 1957 B E. C

URRAN TOR FOR USE IN A BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nited States Patent O lee CELL END CONNECTOR FOR USE IN A BUILDING AND AIR DISTRIBUTING STRUCTURE Bernard E. Curran, Sewickley, Pa., assgnor to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 17, `1957, Serial No. 659,996

l1 Claim. (Cl. 98-31) This invention relates to a building and air distributing structure and more particularly to a building and air conditioning structure of the type forming the subject matter of United States patent to R. P. Goemann, No. 2,729,429, dated January 3, 1956.

The Goemann patent discloses a building and air conditioning and distributing system and apparatus wherein cellular metal floors form the load supporting structure at each of selected stories of a multi-story building, and present invention has for an object to provide novel apparatus for conducting air to or from one or more of the air conducting oor cells.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel, etlicient and economical cell end connecting structure for conducting air to or from an air conducting cell of the multicellular iioor illustrated in the Goemann patent above referred to.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and highly useful elbow shaped duct unit which may be economically manufactured and used with advantage in conducting conditioned air to or from the ends of the multicellular metal Hoor illustrated in said Goemann patent.

With these general objects in View and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the cell end connector forming a component of an air distributing system as hereinafter described and particularly deiined in the claim at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan View of a portion of a cellular metal floor wherein air is conducted through selected floor cells as shown in said Goemann patent above referred to;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l illustrating the present cell end connector used as an inlet to an air distributing oor cell;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the present cell and connector used as an air outlet from the oor cell and connected to an air discharge outlet box;

Fig. 4 is a detail view in side elevation of the present cell end connector; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail front elevation and plan views respectively of the cell end connector.

In general the invention contemplates a novel construction of cell end connector for use as a component of an air distributing system of the type illustrated in the United States patent to Goemann, No. 2,729,429, dated January 3, 1956, wherein air and preferably conditioned air may be distributed through a cellular metallic load supporting floor to be delivered to discharge outlets as described in said Goemann patent to which reference may be made. The present cell end connector is particularly adapted for connection to the end of an air conducting oor cell and may be employed as either an inlet connection from the source of air to the air conducting cell or as an outlet connection from the end of a cell to a Y 2,915,955 Patented Dec. 8, i959 discharge outlet or other communicating member forming a part of the air distributing system.

As shown in said Goemann patent, provision is made for distributing air from vertical air supply ducts or risers in the service core throughout the building utilizing the cells of the structural ioor to effect distribution of the air, and in use the present cell end connector may be employed to connect the end of a cell terminating at the service core to a communicating member of the air distributing system either as an inlet or an outlet connection. The present structure of cell end connector is adapted to lit into the open end of a cell terminating at a wall of the service core or other open space in the building and is of particular advantage in that it eliminates the cantilever construction or extension of the oor cell beyond the wall into the open space as would be required for the conventional outlet or inlet connections to the top and bottom walls of the floor cells.

Referring now to the drawings, as shown in the Goemann patent above referred to and diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, the air to be distributed is caused to ow through vertical risers iti, 12 disposed in the service core 14 and through communicating ducts 16, 18, 20, 22 to the air conducting cells 24 of a cellular load supporting floor to which various types of air discharge outlets may be connected including a floor outlet, .such as a sill box air discharge outlet indicated at 23, or ceiling outlets indicated at 29, such outlets being connected to communieating openings in the top or bottom wall respectively of an air conducting cell. In accordance with the present invention a cell end connector indicated generally at 25 is herein illustrated as arranged to be telescopically fitted into the end of an air conducting cell 24 which terminates at a wall 27 of the service core. ln practice the terminal ends of the cells are provided with substantially airtight end closures, and when a connection to the end of the cell is to be made such end closure may be removed and the present cell end connector snugly fitted into the end of the cell.

The preferred form of air conducting floor cell 24 is generally rectangular in vertical cross section and, as indicated in Fig. 5, may comprise upper and lower U- shaped sheet metal members 30, 32 having laterally extended flanges 34, 36 welded together to form a hollow duct or cell, the flanges of the upper member 30 being provided with tongue and groove lip portions 38, 40 respectively by which adjacent cellular units may be connected side by side in interlocking relation. As herein shown, the cell end connector 25 comprises a generally elbow shaped hollow sheet metal duct structure having an extended straight portion 42 rectangular in cross section and of a size and shape such as to fit snugly into and extend within the open end of the air conducting floor cell 24. The other end of the elbow shaped duct, herein shown as arranged at right angles to the cell connecting end 42, is also provided with a straight extension 44 rectangular in cross section and of a size adapted to fit within a communicating duct or other member forming a component of the air distributing system.

As shown in'Fig. l, the present cell end connector 25 may be utilized as an inlet connection wherein a cell end connector is fitted into the end of each of two spaced air conducting cells 24 carrying hot and cold air respectively to be distributed to a iioor discharge outlet or sill box 28, and wherein the other ends of the connectors 2S are directly connected by suitable communieating duct structures 46, 48 to the hot and cold air risers 10, 12 respectively.

Another manner of utilizing the present cell end connector as a component of the present air conditioning system is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the cell end connector 25 comprises an outlet connection iitted into the Vend of an air conducting cell 24 and directly connected to a `ceiling outlet 50 disposed within the service core or.

other open space in the building.

From thegabve description it will vbe seen that the present cell end connector provides a simple and lcon-V venient vstructure adapted for use as a component of an air distributing system wherein the ends of the cells terminate at a wall adjacent an open space in the building and veliminates any `necessity for extending the end portions of the cells beyond the face of the Wall to provide suicient clearance space to make either an outlet or inlet connection to the air conducting cells.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, Ait will be understood that the invention m'ay be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed For use in an air conditioning and distributing system in a rbuilding of the type wherein a cellular metal floor forms an'air distributing component of the system, each cell being rectangular in cross section and some of the cellshaving one end open and terminating ush with an interior wall of the building, a cell end connector comlprising a hollow sheet metal elbow shaped duct structure `*having a rectangular extension at one end conforming to and snugly tted within the open end of a floor cell disposed flush with said interior wall, the second end of the elbow shaped duct being arranged at right angles to said rst end and also having a rectangular extension adapted for connection to a communicating member of the air distributing system, the outer wall of said duct being de- `fined by a long curved portion extending between corre- References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS y 500,119 Dieckmann v.. .Tune 27, 1893 1,117,748 Adison v Nov. 17, 1914 1 2,242,468 Holub vMay 20, 1941 2,729,429 Goemann Ian. 3, 1956 

